Students spend much of their time on this course and examining websites for information on other courses. Some of these websites are credible and well-produced, while others are not. Students should develop critical perspectives on websites and assess how convincingly the website presents information. Students can review a website in much the same way as they can review a book. This guide will help you to determine what makes a reliable or unreliable website and what the strengths and weaknesses of a particular site are.
You will use the criteria presented in this guide to prepare a 2 page analysis of a website relating historical information on The Panama Canal.
WHAT TO INCLUDE IN YOUR ANALYSIS – (ANSWER THESE QUESTIONS)
Description of the website
What period and subject does this website cover? What is the purpose of the website? Is it an archive of primary sources, a teaching resource, or a presentation by a historian?
Who is the intended audience?
Is the intended audience researchers, college students or others?
Does the website contain primary sources?
Are there some obvious sources missing? Does it contain enough information about its subject and include enough resources?
What about the technical aspects of the site?
Is it easy to navigate, does it include images, pictures, sound, and animation? Do these effects add value to the site, or do these elements detract from the information it is trying to convey?
Viewpoint of the website
Who are the authors of the website and what credentials do they have? Are they credible? A professor of British history at a well-known university would seem to have the necessary credentials for a website devoted to American involvement in WWII. What is the viewpoint of the site? What evidence do you have to validate your opinion of this perspective?
Is the site biased toward one viewpoint or another? Does it exclude certain sources or facts that would challenge the dominant viewpoint? Who is sponsoring the site? A fascist party website on the Holocaust or a Ku Klux Klan website on Martin Luther King, for example, would suggest obvious bias. A labor union website, or Chamber of Commerce website devoted to industrial relations may also warrant extra inspection. Examine the web address or URL to determine the credibility of the site.
An URL ending in “.edu” refers to an educational institution, “.org” to an organization, “.com” to a commercial organization, “.gov” to a governmental organization, and “.net” to a network. A domain name ending in “.edu” would suggest strong credentials for a history website.
Overall, is the site historically accurate? How did you fact-check the information presented by the website you evaluated?
Technology and design
Discuss the design of the website and the ease of navigation. Is the site user-friendly? Does the site make effective use of technology? Is the site interactive? Does it contain games or simulations? Does it make use of audio and video? When was the site last updated? Do the links work? Are the links relevant and appropriate for the site? Comment on the visuals of the site. Is there too much text and not enough visuals? Do the font and colors make the website attractive and appealing? Do the graphics serve a purpose or are they visual gimmicks?
Overall Assessment
What are the greatest strengths and weaknesses of the website you evaluated?
I have attached a sample essay to use as a guide for formatting and what the general goal of the essay is. Thank you!
